Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio Anyone here have a MTX 2150x amp?

I've had mine for about 4 years, but two years it sat in a box. Anyways, have you had any trouble with the amp? My friends and I have always owned MTX amps and never had any trouble with them, but this amp has never seemed very powerful. My friends MTX 280, (about 7 years old) pushes his solobaric 10 alot harder than my 2150x pushes my solo 10 and mine is suppose to be twice as powerful. Any suggestions on a new amp?

I have an mtx 4180 that drove 2 subs well, but it got hot too quickly and would protect itself. I recently bought one of the new Alpine v12's MRD M-500. I got it for 300 bucks off of Ebay and it is phenomenal. It cranks out 500 watts rms at 14.4v 2ohms 900 watts Max. Unfortunately, I may be selling it soon because it looks like I am moving to NYC and won't need my car.

Maybe his is a ringer while yours is a dog. But, I'd bet it's the setup (enclosure, vehicle acoustics, wiring, source unit, tuning, crossover points/slopes, soundproofing, etc.) There are a billion variables besides the amp's output.

I'd investigate some of these before possibly wasting money on a new amp.

BTW, the JBL mono sub amps are pretty solid. Check out www.ikesound.com and www.bsless.com for some good prices.

Well of course there are a bunch of variables, but I made both boxes, which are very solid. Our systems aren't complex, just head units running after market speakers and an amp and a sub. My amp should push twice as hard, but my gain has to be turned up 3/4 of the way just produce the same amount as his is at 1/4 gain. Even when mine was in a hatch and his was in a trunk, his sounded better. He has his in a Lexus GS 400 right now, which has tons of sound deadening and it sounds better. Oh well, the mysteries of car audio!

Well, you've probably also got differences in the output voltages of your HU's and maybe differences in the input voltage range of your amps. Gains are only for matching the voltage output on the HU with the voltage input on the amp. It could be your HU's low output voltage along with the newer MTX's higher voltage input range (I think yours is from .5V-8V while your friend's is .5V-4V) which make the amp look "weak" as you have to adjust the gain for the signal level.

It takes a 10x power increase to only double the output level. An amp twice as powerful will only have a marginal increase in output level.

What amp would work well with my application then? I've been thinking about getting an Alpine amp, it would probably work well with my Alpine HU, wouldn't it?

The Alpine amps are very good but also very expensive. Which model Solo have you got?